SAN ANTONIO, TX (October 1, 2025) – The Association of Collegiate Anglers recently contested its first event of the 2025-26 season on the Bass Pro Shops Collegiate Bass Fishing Series. With the first event of the new season, the ACA named the first three anglers of the 2025-26 campaign to its collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha.

Here are the three anglers that were selected:

Evan Sutton – McKendree University

Jason Riley – SIU-Carbondale

River Eubanks – University of Montevallo

Last year, during its historic 20^th season, the ACA introduced the collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. This is an honor and award created to reward anglers for their success in the classroom. Competitive success in fishing is achieved through time spent on the water, and as college students…these anglers work diligently to maintain their coursework and excel academically.

At each ACA event, a total of three anglers are named to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. By the end of the year, 12 anglers will have received this prestigious distinction. Each angler will receive a scholarship, on behalf of the ACA and Yamaha, for their nomination to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha.

During the Angler & Sponsor Banquet that takes place the Wednesday before the start of the Collegiate Bass Fishing Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops, the ACA will select one of those 12 anglers as the Academic All-American presented by Yamaha. Last season, Harmon Marien from McKendree University was the first-ever recipient of this award.

Fellow teammate Evan Sutton, also from McKendree University, was one of the three nominees announced at the Bass Pro Shops Big Bass Bash presented by Berkley. Evan is a Graduate Student who earned a Bachelor’s Degree in both Mathematics & Computational Science and is now pursuing a Master’s Degree in Cyber Defense. Evan is said to be a determined, hard-working, self-taught angler that is perceptive, honest, witty, and good-natured.

Another angler to be selected to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha is River Eubanks from the University of Montevallo. River is a senior majoring in business. River is said to be an intelligent young man who is always on top of everything that he is involved with. He is majoring in Business and just completed an internship this past summer in Washington D.C. as he worked for Safari Club International as a Government Affairs intern.

Jason Riley from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale was also one of three nominees to be selected to the ACA’s collegiate All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha. He is a senior majoring in Industrial Management and Applied Sciences Engineering, with a minor in Construction Management. Jason has served as the president of the Saluki Bassers fishing team, where he exhibits great skills as a student leader and fisherman.

The ACA’s next event will be the AFTCO Collegiate Bass Open at Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, AR. Three more anglers will be named to the All-Academic Team presented by Yamaha at that tournament. Nominate a deserving angler here.